ACROSS THE DIVIDE

Superstar designer Patricia Urquiola used furniture to zone this Milanese apartment, creating a space where the focus is on togetherness

- Benedetta Rossi

LIVING AREA

'Patricia's idea of dividing the zones with partitions proved to be a winner,' says owner Giuseppe Santoni.

Redondo sofas, Patricia Urquiola for Moroso. Custom double-sided bookcase and storage unit, Patricia Urquiola. Rio coffee table, Charlotte Perriand at Cassina. Gong Lux brass table, Cappellini. Back-Wing armchairs, Patricia Urquiola for Cassina. Arco K 2022 light, Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos. Rug, Warli. Art (white, right) by Enrico Castellani

Patricia Urquiola is one of the most prolific, groundbreaking and inspirational designers working today. Big words, true, but consider her furniture for brands such as B&B Italia, Cassina and Flos - to name just a few of the houses with which she collaborates. Her designs have a wittiness about them, with the inclusion of an unexpected curve, say, such as in her Gruuve sofa for Moroso, which looks a little like a marshmallow; or the joyful cartoonish effect of her iconic Venus Power rug for cc-tapis. But her work is always as comfortable as it is showstopping - words that could equally be used to describe the Milanese apartment she designed for her entrepreneur friend Giuseppe Santoni, CEO of the footwear and accessories brand Santoni.

LIVING AREA

The bespoke room divider has upholstered fabric cupboard doors that provide a decorative backdrop to the dining space.

Custom-designed double-sided bookcase and storage unit, Patricia Urquiola